After vacating most of the airspace of North Delhi, on the 27th of February, the defence authorities of Hyderabad also put Hyderabad on high alert.
The alert was issued after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) invaded the Indian airspace, on the 27th of February, across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The PAF strike came after the Indian Air Force (IAF,) on the 26th of February, attacked 3 camps of the Jaish e Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot, killing the 300 terrorists who resided there.
According to sources, in terms of defence establishment, Hyderabad comes after Delhi and has some major defence academies and training centers, due to which, the security was tightened.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by the PAF on the 27th of February, is also said to be connected to Hyderabad, as he spent a few years of his Air Force training in the City.
Wg Cdr Varthaman, a Bison Pilot, who was flying a MiG 21, was shot down by the PAF and is in the custody of the Pakistan Government.
A defence authority said, “The Local Military Authority (LMA) has intensified patrolling on roads connecting these air force institutions. Apart from these arrangements, a round the clock vigil at all the air force institutions is being maintained.”
It is also said, a few fighter pilots of the IAF, who attacked the JeM camps, were initially trained in Hyderabad. The pilots attended their basic training at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, Hyderabad.
Tight security arrangements were made at the artillery center, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO,) military colleges, the Army College of Dental Sciences and the College of Defence Management.
Security was also strengthened on roads such as the Allahabad Gate (Mahendra Hills,) Wellington Road, Gough Road, Ordnance Road and AOC Circle, which are the connecting routes to the defence academies.
Stay tuned for further updates.